VAR and referee discussions to be aired for first time on Monday Night Football

Conversations between referees and VARs concerning some of the key incidents of the Premier League season will be aired for the first time during Monday Night Football on Sky Sports

VAR CHAT: Referees chief Howard Webb will talk through audio between on-field officials and VARs from selected incidents this season on the next Monday Night Football programme. Pic: Andrew Matthews/PA

Conversations between referees and VARs concerning some of the key incidents of the Premier League season will be aired for the first time during the next Monday Night Football programme on Sky Sports.

Howard Webb, the chief refereeing officer at Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) will talk through the two-way audio discussions alongside Sky pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher on May 15, the PA news agency understands.

PGMOL is determined to provide as much transparency as the game’s laws allow by making this footage available as a one-off pilot.

Referee Stuart Attwell checks the pitchside VAR monitor during the Tottenham v Chelsea match on February 26 (PA)

However, it could become a more regular feature next season – potentially even reaching the point where decisions from a Saturday and a Sunday are routinely reviewed on a Monday evening – if the initial pilot is well received.

It is currently forbidden for the audio to be broadcast live in any competition in the world, but a trial is ongoing in selected FIFA events – including the Club World Cup earlier this year – where referees communicate the final decision reached after a VAR check to the crowd via the public address system.

The Monday Night Football programme will start at the earlier time of 6.30pm to allow for the usual pre-match build-up for the Leicester v Liverpool match before the VAR discussion involving Webb.